Monday, November 28, 2005

This evening I attended a follow-up session on Action Greensboro's trip to Greenville, SC, and was asked to lead a small-group discussion that was to focus on developing policy recommendations for our own downtown.

This was a slightly-daunting task, as I didn't expect to know any of the members of my group, but it became somewhat more so when mayor Keith Holliday and city manager Mitch Johnson sat down with us. They're both very personable, however, and the ensuing discussion was interesting. (When I reported our recommendations to the larger audience, however, I experienced that nervous, my-mind-is-going-blank thing. I hate addressing large groups of strangers ex tempore.)

Anyhow, I guess this means I've been assimilated by Action Greensboro, whose plan for building a new downtown stadium I opposed so vigorously a couple of years ago.

Update: Hoggard says he has not been assimilated. And I should stipulate (if anyone was in dobut) that I share his views on preservation; in fact one of my reasons for getting involved with AG is to promote more preservation and adaptive re-use in its downtown activities.

You have a funny boy there Wharton. Now that you've been assimilated can you do something about those boxes the Borg call spaceships? As long as you're going to be flitting around the universe advocating for AG, you may as well look cool doing it.

If you haven't seen it, promise me you will. OMG, I love that movie so much.

You've got 'promise me,' 'OMG' and 'so much' in close proximity. The only thing that saves him is Lost in America really is a cool movie. Thank God he wasn't pimping The Sound of Music. Otherwise I'd have to say Ms. Sun has the hots for Mr. Urbanity.

my 100% friend cara michele has been up to no good i see....telling all my secrets..OMG....Mr. Sun....I am so sorry you missed out on breast feeding...hey...u know what.....it is never too late Mr. Sun....breasts are plentiful in GSO....I hope u can latch on to one soon! A beast is a terrible thing to waste!

Don't be coy, Sun. With that "OMG" the last tumbler finally clicked. Your idenity has been confirmed.

Stay with me here...

I note that the new BASEBALL stadium in Greensboro is called "First HORIZON Park." What is a horizon without the sun? Nothing. So clearly Mr. Sun has a connection to BASEBALL.

And have you noticed all these SUN themed GAS STATIONS? Like SUNoco. Even BP/Amoco has a SUN-like logo. So Mr. Sun has a connection to BIG OIL.

Hmmm. Baseball, Big Oil. Make you think of anyone? But there's more.

'Cause Mr. Sun -- who also has a connection to the mobile phone company SUNcom -- clearly has a thing for Harry Connick Jr. Why else would SUNcom hire that has-been pseudo-hipster to do their stupid ads? This made me suspect that Mr. Sun is not a man at all.

Smartest thing AG can now do (better late than never) is bring Hoggard and Wharton to the table.

AG can finally afford to do so because their primary mission has been accomplished, albeit with much greater difficulty than they ever anticipated, and the primary money has been lent out, albeit for a small number of private investor's gain. Finally, they need diverse voices to stay in business.

Here's hoping AG gradually takes on a genuine community focus, the only thing that will keep them afloat for the long run.